Jinan Carrefour Supermarket Introduces Pachinko Entertainment Zone, Can "Supermarket + Arcade" Pilot Transformation Achieve Win-Win Results? | DaYu Finance

With annual performance under pressure and traditional chain supermarkets learning from the “Pang Donglai” model to proactively undergo comprehensive reforms, the former “retail king” RT-Mart has finally “humbled itself” and begun experimenting with “cross-industry format combinations” for self-rescue. On March 13, during an interview at RT-Mart on Dikou Road in Jinan, the reporter saw a prominent display of over a dozen pachinko machines at the store entrance. According to a staff member, since the game interaction zone opened, the operation has exceeded expectations, mainly attracting parents and children, with weekends often seeing full queues.

According to reports, starting early this year, several RT-Mart stores in Jinan launched a “supermarket + arcade” format transformation. Zhangqiu RT-Mart even built a pachinko entertainment room with 30 to 40 machines, where parent-child interactions have significantly boosted offline consumption.

Industry insiders say that this wave of entertainment upgrades at RT-Mart essentially aims to activate the “third space” value through scene reconstruction. When the gross profit margin of traditional retail hovers around 20%, innovative models integrating entertainment elements are generating over 35% in comprehensive revenue, becoming a “weapon” to attract family customers. However, from a long-term operational perspective, whether this approach can sustainably create profit points for large supermarkets remains to be seen over time.

Pachinko Machines Become a “Weapon” for RT-Mart to Attract Family Customers; Initial Effects of Parent-Child Interaction Experiments Are Evident

“Started operating earlier this year, and business is pretty good,” said a person in charge of the pachinko entertainment zone at Dikou Road RT-Mart. The minimum spend is 9.9 yuan for 80 balls. Winners can exchange balls for prizes or redeem exclusive items at designated counters. “Most customers buy several hundred balls at once, and the winning probability is quite high. Both adults and children enjoy playing.”

How exactly do you play pachinko machines? She explained that players first purchase ceramic balls as “game currency.” Inserting 10 balls allows one shot of a large steel ball, which the machine will then randomly multiply by 2-10 times. When the steel ball lands on a lit track, players win small balls corresponding to the multiplier. The higher the multiplier, the fewer lit tracks there are. At 2x, lit tracks account for 30%-40%, while at 10x, only one lit track remains, making winning much more difficult.

If players hit a high multiplier track of 6x or above, they can also receive a “gift card.” Collecting 20 cards can redeem a 10-yuan product from the ornamental fish counter. The more points accumulated, the more prizes can be exchanged. “Our pachinko machines also feature games like throwing knives, spinning wheels, and apple-eating contests, which are easy to operate and beginner-friendly.” She added that leftover balls can be stored in the store for next time.

The reporter found on Xiaohongshu that many RT-Mart stores in Jinan have set up pachinko zones. Official videos show that Zhangqiu RT-Mart has reconfigured its existing area to create a larger pachinko entertainment room with 30-40 machines. After winning, players can exchange prizes such as plush toys, attracting many participants, including women, especially during holidays when the scene is lively.

Pachinko entertainment has a long history. In Japan, this activity is called “Pachinko” and has been around for nearly a century, evolving from a children’s game into a major entertainment industry.

In Japan, players buy or rent steel balls at pachinko parlors, then shoot them into the machine, aiming for specific spots. Experienced players control the strength and direction of the shot. The balls bounce inside the machine and hit obstacles. Based on where they land and collisions, players can earn different scores and rewards, such as more steel balls, special items, or cash exchangeable prizes.

The above-mentioned person said that introducing pachinko machines has brought many positive changes to supermarkets. On one hand, it enriches RT-Mart’s formats, transforming it from just a shopping venue into a comprehensive space for shopping, leisure, and entertainment. On the other hand, pachinko machines have become a powerful tool to attract family customers. “Parents can shop while kids play at the machines, solving parental worries and enhancing parent-child interaction and fun.”

Additionally, gaming machines create new profit points for supermarkets. Besides direct game revenue, supermarkets can collaborate with game manufacturers to hold competitions, promote new games, and further expand profit margins. Moreover, gaming machines serve as an important window for supermarkets to promote their brands and increase visibility.

Performance Under Pressure Drives RT-Mart to Seek Change, Hoping to Activate “Third Space” and Create New Growth Points

In fact, amid industry pressure and fierce competition, how to actively reform and seek change has become a key question for traditional supermarkets. After several unsuccessful transformation attempts, RT-Mart’s current experiment with “supermarket + arcade” is not surprising.

In China’s retail landscape, Gaoxin Retail once held a significant position with RT-Mart and Auchan brands. In 1999, RT-Mart achieved a revenue of 24 billion yuan; by 2009, it reached 40.4 billion yuan, becoming the retail leader in mainland China; in 2011, Gaoxin Retail successfully listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, with a market value once reaching HKD 127.8 billion, earning the reputation as China’s “most profitable supermarket.”

After reaching its peak, the decline was rapid. Despite surpassing 100 billion yuan in revenue in 2017, the market performance afterward was disappointing. In October 2016, RT-Mart closed its store in Weifang, breaking a 19-year record of never closing a store in mainland China.

Since then, RT-Mart’s decline has continued. Financial reports show that Gaoxin Retail’s store count from 2022 to 2024 was 602, 582, and 507 respectively, closing nearly 100 stores in three years. Revenue has continued to decline, with a significant loss of 1.6 billion yuan in fiscal 2024.

To reverse the performance, RT-Mart launched small and medium-sized supermarket brands starting in 2020, forming a diversified format with “large hypermarkets (RT-Mart), medium supermarkets (RT-Mart Super), and small supermarkets (Xiao RT-Mart).” In 2023, Gaoxin Retail also began deploying M-member stores, but results remain underwhelming. As of September 30, 2025, Gaoxin Retail operated 462 hypermarkets, 32 medium supermarkets, and 7 M-member stores.

Notably, in last year’s mid-year financial report, Gaoxin Retail proposed a “three-year strategy” focusing on “healthy products + joyful experiences + attentive service” to build a new retail model emphasizing both experience and efficiency. The layout includes strengthening one-stop shopping for hypermarkets, deepening community needs with neighborhood supermarkets, and focusing on “curated + experiential” offerings in membership stores to create a differentiated matrix.

After various transformation attempts, RT-Mart’s current approach of mimicking large integrated complexes by integrating pachinko entertainment into traditional supermarket formats can be seen as a concrete implementation of the “joyful experience” concept advocated by the operational team.

Experts say that young people are the main target group for offline entertainment facilities. For traditional supermarkets, it is urgent to introduce entertainment elements that attract young consumers. “They have a strong interest in video games, enjoy challenging themselves for high scores. Introducing arcade gaming areas can offer various game options, meet young people’s entertainment needs, and attract them to experience the supermarket, effectively expanding the potential customer base.”

Furthermore, this wave of entertainment upgrades at RT-Mart is fundamentally about reconstructing scenes to activate the “third space” value. When the gross profit margin of traditional retail hovers around 20%, integrating entertainment elements is creating a comprehensive revenue of over 35%. For sharp entrepreneurs, this is not only a business model innovation but also a key to unlocking the blue ocean of community economy.